Cedars of Lebanon Ski Touring

Bcharré and Qornet es Saouda, Mount Lebanon Range · Lebanon

Moderate6 daysAsia~£1,100 est.

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Overview

Skinning above the Cedars of God — the last biblical cedar grove, trees older than most nations — you climb towards Qornet es Saouda, at 3,088m the roof of the Levant. From the summit ridge the view is unrepeatable anywhere else on a ski tour: the Qadisha Valley's cliff monasteries 1,500m below on one side, the Mediterranean glittering 25km away on the other. Ski in the morning; drink coffee by the sea in the afternoon. People really do both in a day. The skiing is honest Middle Eastern mountaineering: wind-worked snow, brilliant spring corn cycles, and a small, warm scene of local guides working out of Bcharré, Khalil Gibran's cliff-hung hometown. Weather swings hard — Levantine storms can drop a metre, then the sun bakes it to velvet in two days. Fly to Beirut and drive two and a half hours north into the mountains. Check FCDO advice before booking, as the regional picture changes, and go with a Lebanese operator who reads it daily. January to March is the season; about £1,100 for six days with guiding, guesthouse half board and transfers. Bring an appetite — the mezze is a highlight in itself.